Rum cake is a moist, dense cake made with rum folded into the batter and often soaked into the baked cake with a rum syrup or glaze, giving it a deep, caramelized flavor. It's a traditional dessert across the Caribbean, tied to the region's colonial-era rum production, and is usually baked in a Bundt or tube pan; dark or spiced rum is the typical choice, adding notes of caramel, vanilla, and spice. Variations differ by island -- Jamaican versions, for example, often add dried fruit like raisins or cherries -- and the cake has also become popular in the southern United States. It's served on its own or with ice cream or whipped cream, and appears in layered desserts like trifle.